exerted; exerting; exerts
1
a
: to put forth (strength, effort, etc.)
the force is exerted sideways
b
: to put (oneself) into action or to tiring effort
won't have to exert himself moving the table
2
: to bring to bear especially with sustained effort or lasting effect
exerted a bad influence on his students
Examples of exert in a Sentence
He had to exert all of his strength to move the stone.
He exerts a lot of influence on the other members of the committee.
the force exerted by the machine
Recent Examples on the Web
After a brief struggle for traction, the robot regained control by crouching slightly, mimicking a human posture to exert force.
—
Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2025
This growth can’t last forever early on, as radiation carries lots of energy and exerts a significant amount of pressure.
—Big Think, 23 Oct. 2025
As Moscow extended soft power abroad, the regime grew more concerned about other countries exerting it within Russia.
—Tetiana Kotelnykova, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025
At a time when Republicans control nearly every branch of power, some see the standoff as the only way for Democrats to exert pressure.
—Leonardo Feldman, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exert
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Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2025
This growth can’t last forever early on, as radiation carries lots of energy and exerts a significant amount of pressure.
—Big Think, 23 Oct. 2025
As Moscow extended soft power abroad, the regime grew more concerned about other countries exerting it within Russia.
—Tetiana Kotelnykova, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025
At a time when Republicans control nearly every branch of power, some see the standoff as the only way for Democrats to exert pressure.
—Leonardo Feldman, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exert
Cite this Entry
“Exert.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exert. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
exert
verb
ex·ert
ig-ˈzərt 
1
: to put forth (as strength)
the force exerted by a machine
: bring into use or action
exert influence
2
: to put (oneself) into action or to tiring effort
don't exert yourself too much
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